The Portland daily press., 1887-11-11
MRS. BELCHER'S WILL.

and not let it be known to any one around
Bennington. She asked me ii / knew DR.
Cheney and | said that did She said. DO
you think ne IS a good man?' and | said
that thought he was one of the incest men |
ever met, and she said. We'll, the poor man
has rather hard time down there, hasn't
heY SAID, l guess Brother Cheney fares
well enough; think he has enough. But if
you mean Ihat ne is working hard, l think
college rests on his mind heavily; they need
funds badly Well said she, do Won
think the Institution is a worthy object to
give money top l said that l did, most as
suredly; that did not know what better /
could do with 100000, if | had it, than to
give II to that institution. WELL she said.
Brother Cheney was in here and talked with
me and presented the matter, and | have
been thinking it over, and l have concluded
500 bill, and carried it down and sent it
over to DR.. Cheney by one of the students
who boarded where hesdid." Witness re-
manned at Pennington until early in 1874
when ne removed to, Vermont; visited
Pennington in 1878 and then called upon
Mrs. Belcher. Then moved to Canton, and
began preaching at Pennington again in
1885. Again saw Mrs. Belcher when she
promised that If he would supply the pulpit
there he should have his pay.
On cr0SS-eXaminatiOn witness did not re-
member of having seen DR.. Cheney at Farm
lngton but once or twice in 1885 and 1856 He
was there at the time of Mrs. Belcher's last
sickness.
cumstances of Mrs. Belcher's having pre-
Sented the church at Pennington with an
organ in the fall of 1880
Francis G. Butler, president of the Sandy
River National Bank of Farmingten, testi-
fled relative to the business transactions of
Mrs. Belcher with that bank, and showing
her management of her affairs. Witness was
asked: During all this time, and in all
these transactions did you observe any i'm
pairment OF her mind or mental faculties ?"
The question was objected to, but was ad-
mltted and witness answered, 81 did not"
Frederick z. Perkins, one of the selectmen
OF Harrington for eight or ten wears subse
quent to 1868, testified to having had inter
views with Mrs. Belcher, in regard to her
property, and at one time relative to n corner
stone which she would not permit to be re-
moved as it would interfere with the bound
airy OF her land, and again in regard to the
laying out OF way. In all his interviews
Win her ne had never seen her under the in
huence of intoxicating liquor.
DIR. John j. Linscott testified: 81 am a
physician. reside in Pennington and have
been in practice twenty years. Twas a men,
per OF the Legislature in 1888, and was treat
ing Mrs. Belcher at that time returned
from Augusta on the evening of March oath,
and was Informed that Mrs. Belcher was i'll.
visited her in company with DIR. Lyford.
we entered the house and went to the door
OF her room and tried to get in. Someone
asked who was there, and replied the doc
back few steps and went against it and
went in. found there Benjamin Stanley.
Mrs. Butler, Mrs. Allen, and don't remem-
Der anyone else. Mrs. Belcher was quite
delirious, asked if she had been given any
stimulents and someone, perhaps Miss Hig
gins. said no, the doctors had forbidden it. I
asked for some rum and they produced it. |
gave Mrs. Belcher half tumblerful with
some water and sugar. Within an hour she
became quite reasonable. She looked up to
at Augusta replied that was, and she
asked why there was so much of a crowd
there, and told her did not know, and she
asked me to clear them out. and did. When
went IN found Mr.. Stanley at the foot of
the bed holding her feet. / told him it
would look better for him to put her feet in
bed and he did so. After Mrs. Belcher be-
came rational she said she would like to see
Abram Belcher, and we sent for him. | re-
manned there until midnight" Witness at
tended Mrs. Belcher subsequently until she
got well.
Q.--Asking you to base your opinion upon
the knowledge of Mrs. Belcher which You
had OF her as her attending physician, and
including the whole period down to the time
OF your last visit in April, 1886, ask you to
give yourlprofessional opinion as to whether
she was or was not person of sound mind?
:. Al think she was, otherwise than at the
time she was delirious. | think the delirium
was nothing more than temporary result of
an acute disease.
Mrs. Emeline Holley, a witness for the
contestants, was called out of order by con-
sent, and testified to the friendly feeling that
existed between Mrs. Belcher and herself.
Byron Farrar and William True testified to
having had business transactions with Mrs.
Belcher III her lifetime. Neither had ever
seen her under the influence of intoxicating
liquor.
Andrew p. Tuck, collector of taxes prior
TO 1886, testified as to Mrs. Belcher's habit in
paying her taxes. That she always examined
the matter carefully and paid promptly.
Adjourned until today at 10 a. m.